Many people know or have known someone with a narcissistic personality. These are people who have undesirable qualities such as being manipulative, intimidating, and even aggressive and violent. Given the qualities of narcissists, there are lots of people who wonder just how they get away with abusing others, yet they still manage to maintain relationships and retain friendships.

Well, often this is down to the manipulative and deceitful nature of the classic narcissist, which enables them to play on people's emotions, abuse their trust, and take them as fools. Often, people don't realize that they are being taken in by a narcissist or, in fact, that they are even associated with one, as these people are so good at what they do. In this article, we will look at some of how narcissists are able to get away with abusing others.

Some of the Tactics Narcissists Use

There are various tactics that narcissists use – although tactics is a term used loosely, as the way they act is actually part and parcel of their personality. Some of these include:

Talking Behind People's Backs

One of the things narcissists will do is to be very two-faced. They will act as though they are a shoulder to cry on or confidante for those who need support, and they will appear to listen attentively to what they have to say. However, what they actually do is put on an act, hear only the bits they want to hear, and then use these bits of information to talk about people behind their backs. The people they have been talking to believe that they are a pillar of support when, in fact, they are simply using the information to judge that person.

Guilt-Tripping People

Another thing they tend to do is make people feel guilty even if they have done nothing wrong. Many people start to believe that something was their fault as a result of this, and after making them feel guilty, the narcissist will then play the good guy by placating them and telling them not to worry. This then makes them look like they are doing something good and supportive, whereas, in reality, they are the ones that sparked the guilt in the first place.

Subtle Threats and Intimidation

One thing that narcissists are very good at is subtle threats and intimidation – so subtle, in fact, that some people may feel that the narcissist is actually being nice to them. These subtle threats are delivered in various ways and are used to help them to control their victim. However, the subtlety means that the victim often doesn't feel like a victim. Hence they stick around.

Dressing Control Up as Worrying

Narcissists like to control people and keep an eye on everything a person is doing. This could include keeping tabs on everywhere you do and everyone you speak to. However, they have a habit of dressing it up if they are caught out, making people believe that they are only keeping tabs because they are looking out for them and worrying about them.

One of the Dangers of Narcissists

As you can see from the above, narcissists can get away with doing what they do because they are so good at it. In fact, this is one of the key dangers of a narcissist, as people often do not realize they are around one until it is too late.